A user profile is a visual display of personal data associated with a specific user, or a customized desktop environment. A profile refers therefore to the explicit digital representation of a person or entity's identity. A profile can be used to store the description of the characteristics of a person. This information can be exploited by systems taking into account the persons' characteristics and preferences.
Although some people choose to use their real names online, some social media users prefer to be anonymous, identifying themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information.